Finger exerciser



Feb. 18, 1958 C. M. LEWIS FINGER EXERCISER Filed. April 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- GHFIRLES M. LEWIS HT TURNE' Y Feb. 18, 1958 c. M. LEWIS 2,823,918

FINGER EXERCISER Filed April 10; 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. w v w 0 a is;

gv INVENTOR. CHFIRLES M. LEWIS W'- HTTURNEY United States Patent-O 2,823,918 FINGER EXERCISER Charles M. Lewis, New York, N. Y.

Application April 10, 1957, Serial No. 652,031

Claims. (Cl. 272-57) This invention relates to exercising apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus for exercising the arms, shoulders and fingers.

During convalescence from injuries such as broken limbs doctors usually prescribe mild forms of exercises in order to bring the injured limb gradually back to normal functioning. For example, in the case of a broken arm complete recovery depends upon exercising the arm and this exercise must be such as to raise the arm gradually from a sling position, even with the elbow, to a position above the head of the'patient, and this recovery or improvement must take place over a certain period of time prescribed by the physician.

It is a principal object therefore of the present invention to provide an exercising apparatus that assists the patient in exercising the injured limb, such as a broken arm.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exercising apparatus of this character that can readily be mounted on a convenient verticalsupporting surface such as the wall of a house or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an exercising apparatus of this character that is adjustable for use by persons having various arm reaches.

It is also an object to provide an exercising apparatus of this character with means for indicating the degree of improvement or recovery over a period of time.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming-a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of an exercising apparatus embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a reduced rear perspective view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of the line 44 of Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale. I

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the board device removed from the frame.

Fig. 6 is an edge view thereof.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of a modified form of board device.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view through the stem portion of the finger rest shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in Fig. 1 an exercising apparatus made in accordance with the first form of the invention is indicated generally at 15. This apparatus comprises broadly a frame 16 and a board device 17 removably supported on the frame. The frame and board device are preferably formed of wood but may be 2,823,918 Patented Feb. 18, 1958 formed of plastic, metal or any other suitable lightweight material.

The frame may be of any suitable dimensions but is preferably approximately four feet in length and approximately one foot in width. The frame consists of two upright beams 18, 18 connected together in spaced relation by a flat crosspiece 19 secured to the surfaces of the squared-off bottom ends of the beams by a suitable adhesive, and by crosspieces 20 extending across the space between the beams at spaced intervals therealong. The ends of the crosspieces 20 are preferably positioned in countersunk recesses in the edges of the beams and secured therein by adhesive. A pair of bars 21, 21 extend across the bottom corners of the frame for bracing the frame at this point and are suitably secured to the uprights and crosspiece 20 by adhesive or the like. Spaced openings 22 extend through the upright beams 18, 18 from edge to edge thereof to receive fastening elements such as screws, nails and the like for securing the apparatus to a supporting surface, such as the wall of a home or the like. The top ends of the beams 18, 13 are tapered as indicated at 23 for the sake of appearance.

The board device 17 may be of any suitable dimensions but preferably is approximately two feet long and about eleven inches wide and includes a backing board or plate 25 and a front board or plate 26 superimposed thereon and secured thereto by adhesive or in any other suitable manner. The front board 26 is slightly narrower than the backing board 25. The front face of the front board is formed with transverse corrugations or beads 27 extending the width of the board and with grooves 28 between the corrugations. As shown more clearly in Fig. 8 each corrugation or head 27 has an upwardly slanting face 29 and a shoulder 30 formed along the rear face thereof. Upright side pieces 31, 31 finish off the front board.

The side pieces extend outwardly slightly beyond the outer edges of the corrugations and on the front faces of the side pieces there is imprinted indicia 32, in opposed relation, said indicia representing, for example, numbers indicating the distance in inches from the bottom of the board device to the top thereof.

The board device is adapted to be hung on the crosspieces 20 removably and adjustably by means of spaced L-shaped hooks 33 extending from the rear surface of the backing board 25. The spacing of the hooks along the backing board is commensurate with the spacing between the crosspieces 20 so that the books will engage and seat on adjacent crosspieces for securely, removably and adjustably holding the board device on the frame. The length of the hooks is also substantially the same as the width of the crosspieces 20 so that no part of the hooks will touch the supporting surface.

In using the apparatus, the board device 17 is hung on the frame 16 by means of the hooks 33 at a point therealong so that the bottom end of the board device is convenient to be reached by the hand of the patientuser without any undue exertion, that is, usually at a point approximately opposite the elbow of the user. By placing the tips of the fingers of the hand of the injured arm on the lowermost corrugation 27 and by then stretching the fingers of said hand, one at a time, upwardly to reach the next upper succeeding corrugations, the arm is raised a height of one finger stretch at a time. The shoulders prevent the tips of the fingers in reaching the next adjacent upper corrugation from sliding down into the groove above the corrugation and also serve as a pressure anchor against which the finger tip presses. The strains and pressure during this operation are on the fingers alone and the fingers tend to pull the arm upwardly along the board the distance of one finger stretch at a time. When the patient becomes tired he can stretch the whole palm of the hand onto the front board and thereby acquire a resting position before commencing further operations. The degree of climbing for one workout or session is indicated by the indicia 32 on the side pieces 31 and a permanent record may be made of the climb therefrom in order to compare it with the degree of climbing during the next exercising session. It will thus be seen that the apparatus provides for the gradual raising of the injured arm without any injurious effects and in a manner conducive to complete recovery and use of the injured arm.

The board device 17 is readily removed from the crosspieces 20 and placed along the frame 16 at the point needed in order to be reached by the particular reach of the individual using the apparatus. it provides means whereby the arm is raised and the fingers do the manual work in the raising operation and absorb all the strains and pressures during the operation.

Alternatively it provides a means for strengthening the fingers of the hands and making them more dexterous and is therefore particularly useful for piano players, golf players and other whose occupation requires the use of the fingers.

In Figs. 7 and 8, a modified form of front board device 17 is shown wherein the corrugations or beads 27' are formed with socketed openings 40, of octagonal cross section, for receiving the similarly cross-sectional shaped stems 41 of kidney-shaped finger rests 42. The complemental shapes of the sockets and stems permit the finger rests to be placed in the socketed openings at various angles so that the convexed recesses 43 therein, which are shaped to conform to the shape of the tips of the fingers, may be disposed in offset and staggered relationship to each other in an upward direction so that in climbing the board by means of the fingers of the user, the fingers may be stretched in a manner and direction upwardly and crosswise of the board in simulation of the movement of a lobster. This movement brings into use different muscles of the fingers and arm thereby aiding in restoring the use of the arm.

It is to be understood that this device may be used to assist the patient with bone breaks or fractures, as well as those suffering with bursitis, arthritis, auglosis, or the like, to gain a suitable exercise of the muscles on the board device which cannot be obtained on smooth wall surfaces.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: i

1. Exercising apparatus of the kind described comprising a frame having spaced uprights with spaced crosspieces therebetween, a board assembly removably and adjustably mounted on said crosspieces, said assembly including a backing board and a front board, the face of the front board being formed with alternating grooves and corrugations for engagement by the tips of the fingers of the user, said corrugations having upwardly slanting front faces and shoulders on the rear faces to prevent the finger tips of the user from sliding into the grooves and to provide anchors against which to press the finger tips, said removable and adjustable mounting including spaced hooks projecting from the rear of the backing plate and removably seated on the crosspieces.

2. Exercising apparatus of the kind described comprising a frame having spaced uprights with spaced crosspieces therebetween, a board assembly removably and adjustably mounted on said crosspieces, said assembly including a backing board and a front board, the face of the front board being formed with alternating grooves and corrugations for engagement by the tips of the fingers of the user, said corrugations having upwardly slanting front faces and shoulders on the rear faces to prevent the finger tips of the user from sliding into the grooves and to provide anchors against which to press the finger tips, said front board having indicia on its front face at the sides thereof in opposed relation to indicate progress along the front board from bottom to top thereof.

3. Exercising apparatus of the kind described comprising a frame having spaced uprights with spaced crosspieces therebetween, a board device removably and adjustably mounted on said crosspieces, said device including a backing board and a front board, the face of said front board being formed with spaced transverse corrugations, said corrugations having socketed openings spaced therealong and finger rests removably and adjustably mounted in said openings.

4. Exercising apparatus of the kind described comprising a frame having spaced uprights with spaced crosspieces therebetween, a board device removably and adjustably mounted on said crosspieces, said device including a backing board and a front board, the face of said front board being formed with spaced transverse corrugations, said corrugations having socketed openings spaced therealong and finger rests removably and adjustably mounted in said openings, said finger rests having curved edges with portions curved to conform to the tips of the fingers of the user.

5. Exercising apparatus of the kind described comprising a frame having spaced uprights with spaced crosspieces therebetween, a board device removably and adjustably mounted on said crosspieces, said device including a backing board and a front board, the face of said front board being formed with spaced transverse corrugations, said corrugations having socketed openings, octagonal in cross section, spaced therealong and finger rests having stems octagonal in cross section removably and adjustably mounted in said openings, said finger rests having curved edges with portions curved to conform to the tips of the fingers of the user.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 152,394 Ceverha Jan. 18, 1949 1,630,170 Cook May 24, 1927 1,931,146 Hampel Oct. 17, 1933 2,303,922 Elmquist Dec. 1, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,081 Great Britain 1897 

